Hair piece, toupee, or wig



Jan. 29, 1946. I J. GORDON 2,393,858 r HAIR PIECE, TOUPEE, Ofi WIG I Filed Dec. 15, 1944 Inventor Ufa/ 7 W 3., v I 9 Z A Attorney Patented Jan. 29, 1946 1 Application December 15, 1944, Serial No. 568,285

In Great Britain October 21, 1944 1 Claim. (Cl. 132-53) This invention relates to hair pieces, toupee or wigs and more particularly to what may be termed edge forming elements for use therewith.

- As is known, one of the difficulties involved in connection withthe production of hair pieces,

toupees or wigs is that of forming the front, side or other marginal edges of the same in such manner that the edges will lie close'to the skinand give the desired finish and realistic effect or make it difficult to detect that the hair is not genuine and attached by roots to the wearer's head in natures own way.

In accordance with the present invention, these and other attendant difficulties are overcome by the use of a separate edge forming element which comprises a metallic or other strip having a series of fine wires or threads projecting laterally therefrom and which is incorporated in or applied to the edge of the hair piece, toupee or wig so as to produce the desired realistic or blending efiect or finish.

In some forms of the invention particularly for use on a wig and at the back thereof, the aforesaid edge forming element may be composed of a single strip of metal, metal foil or the like having projecting laterally therefrom at one side thereof a series of separate fine wire threads.

In other form of the invention, particularly for use at the side or front portion of a toupee, the aforesaid edge forming element may be composed of two superposed strips of metal, metal foil or the like which are interconnected with each other as, for example, by soldering and each of which has a. series of fine wires projecting laterally therefrom at one side thereof. Thus, for example, in carrying the invention into efifect according to one convenient mode, the lower part of such a composite hair line may consist of a thin fiat strip of metal or metal foil having a series of extremely fine wires or threads secured thereto or soldered thereon and projecting laterally from one side of the same whilst the upper part of the edge forming element may consist of a similar strip which is also provided with a series o tremely fine wires projecting laterally from one side thereof.

According to another form of the invention, the edge forming element is composed of two superposed strips of metal, metal foil or the like each having a series of fine wires or threads projecting laterally from one side thereof, and netting, cotton gauze, hair lace or a fine wire gauze interposed therebetween for the attachment or looping thereto of hair strands.

In practice, the aforesaid fine wires or threads are selected to suit the texture and colouring oi the hair and, as will-be appreciated, the metallic strip may be bent to conform with the shape of the head or the article to which the edge forming element is being applied. 1

. In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the samewill now be more fully described with reference tozthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows one form of edge forming element produced in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 shows another form of edge forming element made up of two units of the form shown in and Fig. Z23 shows another form of edge forming element produced according to the invention and made up of two units of the form shown in Fig. 1 and an interposed strip of netting or the like, said edge forming element being ready to receive the hair strands or loops preparatory to being applied to or incorporated in an edge portion of a hair piece, toupee, wig or the like.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing, the edge forming element consists of a single flat strip A of pliable metal or metal foil which is about one-eighth of an inch wide and is provided with a series of fine wire threads B which are secured thereto as, for example, by being soldered in position thereon at their ends so that they project laterally therefrom at one side thereof and are disposed in the same plane or substantially the same plane as the strip. The wire threads B may be constituted by lengths of fine wire, e. g. silver wire, copper wire or steel wire, having a gauge of the order of 39 to 42 arranged side by side with their anchored or soldered ends disposed parallel with one another and spaced from each other by spacings of the order of one thirty-second to one-fiftieth of an inch. The wires or threads may be of the same length but, in many instances, it is preferable to use difierent lengths, so that an irregular or undulating edge is formed by the free ends of the assembled elements. Although the wires or threads have been shown as extending outwardly at right angles or substantially at right angles to the length of the strip A, it will be appreciated that they may be disposed at any angle thereto, the angularity being dependent upon the position in which the edge forming element is required.

Theunit thus produced and shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing is particularly suitable for application to or incorporation in the back of a wig for a neck line and, if desired, the edge portion of the foundation of the wig may be each having ,anseri extremely fine 10, wire threads securedthereto, this form of the I invention being particularly suitable for useata or in the side portions of'a wi or toupee. Thetwo elements (each of which is of tlierorrmslmvim-- in Fig. 1) are suitably secured together asa ion, 5,

example, by solder and, preferably the wire threads of the upper elementtiare-lsligktlyrlongenthan the wire threads of the lowei element and the two elements are secured to one another; in

such manner that one set of wire threads is 0 staggered with. respectitot. the other? such: 8312:01

threads or; alternatively, the: wires. oiieachz set:

areedifferentlw-spaced: J .7

The edge.- forming elemenfishnwm in; 3%. of

the accompanying drawingi-isamgdge two? 25- unitsof theform sliowneiml ige 1i andiaistrip afJC interposed netting, cotton gauze; hair lanes or; fine wiregauze," the arrangement beingzsuchathat the new wires: or threads extend outward-137+ be yond the netting or the like. The two units are suitably secured together as, for example, by

"solder and the netting or the like serves for the attachment or looping thereto of hair strands. The netting Or the like is preferably coloured a light cream colour to enable the wig maker the more readily to see the same when looping or knotting' the hair strands thereon-and the compositeedseforming element. thus. obtained may, aftentlre hairzstrands hailezbeeniappiiedji thereto or looped in position thereon, be readily bent to conform with the shape of the head of the wearer. Such edge forming element is particularly suitatileefonusefiaxthe front portion of a toupee and, it desired, vthe foundation of the toupee may be formed or grooved so that it is adapted to accommodaterthesedgeiorming ele nent.

For, application to the edge of a hair-piece, toupee, wig or the like, a separate edge forming lement; eomncsect: f two: S DWMS Q: flexib series ofifine-zw tfi r miectinglaterally: from one-zside theneot, the-wiresi-of. the respective. being: of: difierent; l n ths an gered. with: resnmti-tmeaeh; other sm ha tz, imeguianfedger isriormedibydthein'ireeaendsi;and ar finezsecuredato; S8JiKTLESHDEIPOS KiiSHiP for tire:- attachmenti theretooi? hairrstrands;

. JAGK- 

